Alipurduar, Dec. 20: A Himalayan black bear was rescued from a tea garden on the Bhutan border yesterday afternoon and released in the Kalimpong forest a few hours later.

The animal, an endangered species under the Wildlife Protection Act, is found in high-altitude areas. Foresters said it had come down to the foothills probably in search of food.

The bear was first spotted by children playing on a dried-up riverbed adjacent to Bandapani Tea Estate. The animal was later captured by forest guards and freed in the Kalimpong forest at 11.30pm on Monday.

Siliguri: Sachin Singha, a resident of Choupukuria, was on Tuesday sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment for molesting a minor girl in his neighbourhood. The additional sessions judge, Shankar Brahma, also slapped a fine of Rs 1,000 on the convict.

Siliguri: The CPI-ML (Liberation) will organise a demonstration at Rani Rashmoni Sarani in Calcutta on December 30 to protest the Mamata Banerjee government’s alleged failure to deliver on its promises. Kartik Pal, a politburo member of the party, said here on Tuesday that the organisation would also hold rallies across districts from December 23 onwards to protest rise in the prices of essential commodities.

Islampur: Md. Basiruddin, a resident of Dalua, died in a road accident on Monday night. Chopra police said the 48-year-old was crossing NH31 when he was run over by a bus. He died on the spot. The police have seized the bus, but the driver is absconding.